


Reality Is Often Disappointing

by ElectricSparx



Category: Doki Doki Literature Club! (Visual Novel)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Self-Insert, sweet baby jesus I don't know what the fuck I'm doing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2020-11-24 04:57:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 13,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20902007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElectricSparx/pseuds/ElectricSparx
Summary: Michael, a 20-year-old guy who doesn't consider himself anyone special, gets a rather shocking surprise when an unexpected turn of events relating to a literature club happens to him, and the outcome depends on his decisions... What exactly will happen? Only one way to find out.





	1. Dreams of the World Beyond (Prologue)

**[Location: Home]**

  
  


“Another day, another dollar,” I sigh as I unlock my front door and walk inside, finally home from another day at work. Walking into my messy room, I set my backpack with all my stuff on my “bed,” which is more-or-less just three mattresses on top of each other. “Least it's over,” I comment, changing out of my work clothes and getting into more comfortable casual clothing. I have the habit of talking to myself a lot. My parents have told me it's weird, but I don't really care. I like to get my thoughts out as soon as I can; it keeps my head clear for the more important thoughts that I should keep to myself.

  
  


  
  


Oh yeah, I should probably introduce myself. I'm Michael, a 20-year-old guy who works a crappy job in order to pay the bills, get food and new clothes, and occasionally support my hobby; that hobby being playing video games. I'm honestly nobody special, though I've got a few friends. Most of the time I come home from work tired and ready to relax. Fortunately, it's my day off tomorrow, so I can spend a fair bit of time doing what I enjoy, and sleep in tomorrow morning. My life is boring and uneventful, but sometimes, it's kinda nice.

  
  


  
  


“Time for some gaming,” I say as I sit down in the chair in front of my desk, upon which rests my computer. It's a pretty nice gaming PC, and I tend to worry about its health since I paid quite a bit for it. “Let's see, what shall I do tonight?” I muse, looking across the icons on my desktop. One does catch my eye as I browse my various games, but I finished it the other day – A game called _Doki Doki Literature Club!_ My friend was quite eager for me to play it and get my reaction to it. It... definitely wasn't what it made itself out to be initially. I first made a few jokes, calling it “Waifu Simulator 2017” after seeing the four anime girls on the title screen, and one joke along the lines of “Oh, so do I get to choose which waifus go to their graves?” ...Which upon getting further in the game, was a joke I wish I didn't make. It was certainly a unique experience, and it actually managed to make me get a bit emotional.

  
  


“Heh, damn you for recommending me a game that you knew I'd make jokes about and then regret making them later,” I quietly chuckle to myself, remembering my friend who recommended it to me. I then decided to play a nice, relaxing game of Minecraft, as I knew it would help make my mood better before it was time for bed. I spent a few hours playing until I started getting tired, taking a minute to admire my lame building skills before saving and quitting.

  
  


“Welp,” I yawn. “Time for bed.” I then shut down my PC and stand up, slowly walking over to my bed. “Fuck, I have to move all this shit...” I sigh, picking up my backpack, taking out my tablet and setting it next to my pillow, then putting the rest to the side. Finally climbing into bed, I pull a couple blankets over me and lie down. “God, I love sleeping in...” I mumble to myself as I fall asleep.

  
  


I usually don't remember my dreams unless I wake up from a particularly weird one, or a particularly bad one. This was a weird mix of the two. I felt like I was falling, a dream I've had before several times, but this time I wasn't falling through blue skies and white puffy clouds – I was falling through some sort of starry void. It was strange and new to me; yet felt... familiar in a way that I couldn't place. Typically these “falling dreams” don't last for too long before I wake up, but this one was already different. It felt like I would fall forever, with no end in sight to this starry void I found myself in. Then, a noise brought me out of my sleep-induced trance...

  
  


  
  


**[Location: ???]**

  
  


  
  


_Beep beep beep!_ What the hell? When did I have an alarm clock? Must have been something I got to remind myself that I needed to take my medication. I'd been having strange “episodes” for the past month or so where I would feel extremely light-headed, accompanied by a strong sense of deja vu, afterwards I would pass out and wake up on the floor after a short while, confused about what just happened. I'd managed to get prescribed a medication that my doctor believed would help prevent these episodes, and so far it's been working; so I take it every morning and at some point in the afternoon/evening hours. I groan, slowly getting up and turning off the alarm clock.

  
  


  
  


“Falling dreams _suuuuuuuck!_” I complain, climbing out of bed. Something feels off, though, but in my “just woke up” haziness, I think nothing of it. Making my way to the bathroom, I sit down and begin my morning routine. “Well, guess I'll go take my medication...” I begin, walking out of the bathroom and down the hall, before stopping at a set of stairs. “...What the _fuck?!_” I exclaim, snapping out of my haze and stepping back. I'd felt something was wrong, but this confirms that feeling. “This isn't my fucking house!”

  
  


  
  


I quickly run back into the bathroom and look in the mirror. “Well, I still look like myself, from what I can tell...” I remark, looking myself over. My turquoise eyes blink back at me, and I could tell that my dark brown hair was due for being cut, as I'd kept telling myself for the past month. Seems like my casual clothes I was wearing stayed with me, at least. “Ugh, I'm gonna have to go outside and see where the hell I am. This must be some weird-ass dream,” I mutter, walking back to the bedroom, looking for my shoes. I don't find them, however. “Must be downstairs, I guess...”

  
  


  
  


Sighing, I make my way out of the bedroom and walk down the stairs. I stop to look around, noticing how... nice this place looks. “Whoever's house this is, it's a pretty nice place, I'll admit,” I comment, glancing over to the front door, seeing a pair of black shoes on the floor. “Welp, there's my shoes,” I sigh in relief, walking over and grabbing the pair of shoes off the floor. “Looks like they'll fit me, at least. Thank you, owner of this house that I found myself in...”

  
  


  
  


Putting the shoes on, thankfully they do fit; I unlock the front door and make my way outside. But what I see out there leaves me speechless, save for a few choice words... “_WHAT THE FUCK?!_” I yell, running out of the front yard and looking around in sheer disbelief. This isn't my neighborhood! No seriously, it looks far too nice for it to be where I live. I'm almost sure I'm having a fever dream at this point, and then a girl's voice snaps me out of my shock.  
  
  
  


  
  


  
  
“Heeeeeeeyyy!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo everyone and welcome to my first foray into writing fanfiction. I've had ideas floating around for a while and I finally had the inspiration to make something with them! Hopefully, this story isn't really bad. I know that there's quite a few stories with similar ideas, and I assure you that I'm not trying to copy anybody else's work. Any similarities to other works are purely coincidental, I swear! Also, don't expect romance for a while. It ain't happening yet.


	2. A World Unlike Any Other (Chapter 1)

I immediately turned to the source of the voice, and my eyes widened slightly at the sight of the girl who was running towards me. _That's Sayori...! But that means... Oh wow, how original..._ _I only have two questions, why me, and how the hell did this happen?! I bet it was that falling dream. Curse you, falling dream!_ Sayori finally reaches me, stopping and panting heavily. “Geez, careful there. I know from experience that running fast for too long really tires you out,” I tell her, resisting the urge to pat her on the head.

  
  


“Haaaaaaah... I caught you!” She exclaims with triumph.  
  
  
  


“I don't think that was too hard to accomplish, I literally just came outside and stood here watching you run towards me,” I reply, chuckling a little bit.

  
  


“Eeehhhhh, you say that like you were thinking about ignoring me!” She makes a pouty face and... Oh my god, that thing she does where she presses her two index fingers together is even cuter to see in person. “That's mean, Michael!”

  
  


_So I guess I'm taking the place of DDLC's protagonist._ _Well, that's... convenient? At least I don't seem out of place, but I'm gonna have to figure out what the fuck happened._ “Actually, Sayori, I wasn't thinking of doing that at all,” I respond. “I was just surprised to see you running towards me like that.”  
  
  
“Oh,” she quietly comments in response. “I... guess I didn't think about that!” She looks to the side, smiling awkwardly.

  
  


“It's okay, I know we haven't talked in...” I begin, trailing off as I scratch my head. “...I actually can't remember the last time we talked, heh...” I smile sadly. “Guess that makes me a pretty bad friend, huh?”

  
  


Sayori's expression instantly changes as her brow furrows and she looks at me with a look of slight disbelief. “No!!” She shouts. “You're not a bad friend at all! Why would you even think that??”

  
  


“Eh,” I respond. “Just seeing you again and not being able to remember the last time we even talked, makes me wonder if you'd be better off having someone else to call your best friend.”

  
  


“But what if I don't want another best friend?” She asks playfully, a grin creeping onto her face. “Who else am I going to be able to-- TICKLE ATTACK!” As soon as she says that, she immediately starts to tickle my sides.

  
  


“W-Whoa!” I can't help but laugh and smile, I've always been particularly susceptible to tickling, after all. “S-Sayori!” She keeps tickling me for a bit before stopping, looking quite proud of herself.

  
  


“I got you!” She giggles.

  
  


“Y-Yeah, you did,” I sigh, grinning. “C'mere you,” I say as I pull her in for a hug, which she happily returns.

  
  


“Ehehe... Hey Michael?”

  
  


“Yeah?”

  
  


“How come you're not dressed for school?”

  
  


_Ah, crap. I forgot about that fact._ “...Whoops, looks like I forgot! Me and my bad memory, huh?” I chuckle nervously.

  
  


“Well, you'd better go back inside and get ready fast!” She replies, making a pouty face and pushing her fingers together. “After all, it's rude to keep a lady waiting.”

  
  


“Yeah, yeah, I know,” I chuckle. “You don't have to wait for me, though.” I say that, but I actually hope she decides to wait for me anyway, because I probably would get lost trying to find wherever the school is.

  
  


“I-It's okay, I don't mind waiting!” She responds, smiling nervously.

  
  


“Well, if you say so. I'll be quick about it, I wouldn't wanna make you late cause of me,” I grin, walking back into the house.

  
  


  
  


_...Hoo boy. This is gonna suck to wake up from, ain't it?_ I sigh and walk up the stairs and into my bedroom. “Welp, guess all my clothes are in here,” I mutter, going over to the closet and opening it. Yep, as expected, there's a bunch of clothes hanging up here, looking like a school uniform. “God, I hope this is breathable...” I sigh and put on the uniform.

  
  


  
  


A few minutes pass, and I'm all dressed. “Well, I guess it's not _as_ bad as I expected... I'm used to wearing nice-looking clothes, after all,” I remark as I exit the bedroom and walk downstairs, heading back outside, where indeed Sayori is standing there waiting. She doesn't seem to have noticed me, however, and upon realizing this, a mischievous grin creeps onto my face. Sneaking up slowly behind her, I get right next to her before... “BOO!” I shout.

  
  


  
  


“AAAAAHH!” Sayori squeals, jumping up slightly.

  
  


“Heh, guess I got you back for that tickle attack,” I snicker.

  
  


“Hmph... You meanie...” She pouts.

  
  


“Aw c'mon, Sayori, I was just playing around... I didn't scare you _that_ bad, did I?” I ask, concern seeping into my voice.

  
  


“Ehehe... That's so like you to get worried about me after you scare me, Michael,” She giggles.

  
  


“Hey, I don't wanna scare you away,” I sigh in relief. “You're my best friend, you know?” _And kind of my only friend, at least right now anyway._

  
  


“It'll take more than that to scare away Sayori!” She grins with pride.

  
  


“Well, that's good. Now, I think we should get going, don't you agree?” I smile.  
  
  
  


“Oh, right!” She smiles nervously, almost forgetting.

  
  


So the two of us started walking to the school. We talk for a bit as we walk, before we make it to school, and then Sayori has a look of realization on her face. “Oh, I almost forgot!” She exclaims. “Michael, have you decided on any clubs to join?” _I should have seen this coming..._

  
  


“Uh, no, I haven't,” I reply, scratching my head. “Didn't really look, either. I mean, is there a Napping Club?” I ask jokingly, to which Sayori's brow furrows.

  
  


“Michael, I'm serious! I don't want you to be cooped up all day in your house, becoming a NEET!” She looks at me with a concerned expression.

  
  


“Hey, if it makes you feel better, I'll see what I can find after school, okay?” I tell her, putting a hand on her shoulder, hoping that it eases her concern.

  
  


“...You promise?” She looks at me with a slight frown, her eyes still showing concern.

  
  


“Well... I can't promise that I'll find a club I'm interested in, but I promise that I'll at least look, alright?” That seems to ease her concern.

  
  


“Alright...” She sighs. “But I'm holding you to that!” She exclaims, with a look of determination on her face.

  
  


“Heh, c'mon Sayori, we should get to class before we get in serious trouble,” I chuckle.

  
  


“Oh yeah...”

  
  


And with that, Sayori cheerfully skips into the school, soon disappearing from view. I stand there for a minute and sigh. _I wonder what exactly is going to happen... I mean, this definitely is new territory for me. Guess I'll do what I always do and wing it while hoping that I don't screw things up._ I take a deep breath before walking into the school.


	3. Here We Go Again (Chapter 2)

**[Location: School, Classroom]**

  
  


  
  


The school day passes by uneventfully. Not really a surprise to me, school has never been anything difficult to me... except for math, anyway. I just focused on not drawing too much attention to myself. I don't exactly know what to expect beyond the basics, so I figured it was a good idea to play it safe. I'm sitting in my last class when the bell rings. Everyone exits the classroom except for me, as I stay sitting at my desk. I'm reminded of the promise I made to Sayori as I sigh and rub my temple.

  
  


“Damn it, I've never really been much of a social person, but I don't want to disappoint Sayori...” I say to myself. “What kind of clubs would I even find here that'd be remotely interesting to me?” I have a good feeling I know what happens next, but it's still a good idea to act like I don't. Otherwise people will think I'm weird... at least, weirder than I already am, being a guy who talks to himself a lot. I'm snapped out of my thoughts as the door opens, Sayori walking in.

  
  


“Michael?” She asks.

  
  


“Oh hey, Sayori. What are you doing here?” I reply, getting out of my seat and stretching.

  
  


“Well, I just thought I'd come find you and see how you were doing... You know, with finding a club to join!”

  
  


“Sayori, I've been sitting in here for the past couple minutes. I haven't even started looking,” I grin slightly, raising an eyebrow at her. “Don't you have your own club to be going to?”

  
  


“Well...” She smiles nervously, pushing her fingers together before looking at me. “I thought... you know...”

  
  


“Go on...” I say, even though I'm pretty sure I know where this is going already.

  
  


“That you could join my club?”

  
  


“What club are you in?” I ask, putting my hands together.

  
  


“The Literature Club!” She beams.

  
  


“...So, what, do you just sit around and read books or something? That doesn't really sound like the most interesting thing in the world, Sayori,” I look at her, tilting my head.

  
  


“W-Well, it's more than that...!” She glances to the side nervously. “Besides, I kind of told the club I was bringing a new member today...”

  
  


“Why would you tell them that if you weren't positive that you'd actually _have_ a new member to bring?” I sigh, crossing my arms.

  
  


“Aw, come on, Michael! Natsuki even made cupcakes!” She pleads.

  
  


“Oh no, food. My biggest weakness,” I grin. “I guess I'll _have_ to come and check it out now...” I add, booping her nose, to which she blushes lightly, smiling in response. “You're very good at exploiting my weaknesses, Sayori. But I guess that just means I have to get back at you later!”

  
  


“Ehehe... Come on, I'll take you to the clubroom!” She replies, skipping happily out of the room as I follow her up to the third floor.

  
  


“Oh no, _stairs!_ My second biggest weakness!” I jokingly complain as I walk up the stairs, earning a giggle from Sayori in response. We both enter the room together, but she's the first to say anything.

  
  


  
  


“Everyone, the new member is here~!” She chirps as I scan the room.

  
  


_Oh boy,_ I mentally prepare myself, as two girls come up to me, a tall one with long purple hair, and another who's short with pink hair. “Welcome to the Literature Club. It's a pleasure meeting you,” the taller one greets. “Sayori always says nice things about you.”

  
  


“Seriously? You brought a boy? Way to kill the atmosphere,” the short one comments.  
  
  
  


“Oh, I'm sorry, Sayori failed to mention this was s'posed to be a girls-only club,” I chuckle, winking at Sayori to let her know I'm joking.

  
  


There's a notable pause as someone else walks in, so I turn to see who it is. The hairs on the back of my neck tingle and stick up as I see her with my own eyes.

  
  


“Ah...” She starts, seemingly surprised by my presence. At least, that's what I would assume she's playing it off as. “...Michael! What a nice surprise! Welcome to the club!” She puts on a smile, but I can't tell if it's genuine or not.

  
  


I'm standing there trying to figure out what to say, but I must look awkward, as the pink-haired girl soon breaks the silence. “What are you looking at?” She asks, giving off quite the attitude. “If you want to say something, say it.”

  
  


“Oh, sorry. I was actually trying to figure out what to say. Hope I didn't seem awkward,” I reply, shrugging lightly.

  
  


“Yeah, well, you definitely screwed that up already.” _Ouch._

  
  


“Natsuki...” The purple-haired girl interjects, to which Natsuki crosses her arms in a huff.

  
  


“You can just ignore her when she gets moody~” Sayori whispers in my ear before turning back to the other girls. “Anyway, this is Natsuki, always full of energy,” she introduces, gesturing to the pink-haired girl. “And this is Yuri, the smartest in the club!” She gestures to the purple-haired girl.

  
  


“D-Don't say things like that...” Yuri responds shyly.

  
  


“Well, it's nice to meet you two,” I smile. “Sayori might have told you this already, but I'm Michael.”

  
  


“And it sounds like you already know Monika, is that right?” Sayori asks me.

  
  


“Actually yeah,” I reply, which seems to surprise Monika, as I look at her. “It's a surprise, seeing a familiar face, but a welcome one to be sure.”

  
  


“A-Ah, yeah...” Monika stutters. “It's great to see you again, Michael,” she adds, smiling sweetly.

  
  


_Oh geez. Honestly, she **is** pretty attractive; I can see why people like her looks. But obviously, she's more than just that..._ I stand there in thought for a few seconds.

  
  


“If my bad memory isn't totally crapping out on me, we had a class together last year, right?”

  
  


“Um, yeah! It's nice to see that you remember...”

  
  


“Well hey, I'm really good at remembering faces! ...Just not a lot of other details. Like names.”

  
  


“Ahaha, no kidding...” She laughs nervously. I get the impression I'm throwing her off, but that's probably a good thing right now...

  
  


It's complicated. On one hand, I feel bad for Monika. I can't imagine how awful it is – the idea that you're the only real person in the world, with everyone else around you just being like... well, characters in a game. I can see why she did what she did; she felt like she had no other options. On the other hand, I don't really think what she did was right... So I'm gonna make sure she doesn't hurt anyone... at least, as best as I can. I wonder if she remembers? Probably for the best if she doesn't. She _did_ still consider the others her friends, though... This is going to be interesting to deal with.

  
  


“Come sit down, Michael!” Sayori beckons. “We made room for you at the table, so you can sit next to me or Monika.” And then with a big grin, she adds, “I'll get the cupcakes~”

  
  


Natsuki promptly objects. “Hey, I made them, I'll get them!”

  
  


“Sorry, I got a little too excited~” Sayori smiles, pushing her fingers together.

  
  


“Then how about I make some tea as well?” Yuri suggests.

  
  


“Tea sounds nice,” I remark, walking over to where the girls have arranged a few desks in order to create a make-shift table. Just like Sayori mentioned, there's space to sit next to her or Monika. Admittedly, I'm tempted to sit next to Monika and assert my dominance, but that seems a little too conspicuous. I decide to play it safe and sit down next to Sayori. Natsuki and Yuri have gone to the corner of the room, where Natsuki grabs a wrapped tray and Yuri opens the closet. Natsuki proudly marches back over to the table, tray in hand. “Okaaay, are you ready?” She grins. “...Ta-daa!” She proclaims, lifting the foil off the tray and revealing the cupcakes, which are decorated to look like little cats with little bits of chocolate to make the ears. _Wow, those look __really__ good._

  
  


“So cuuuute~!” Sayori squeals.

  
  


“I had no idea you were so good at baking, Natsuki!” Monika compliments the pink-haired baker.

  
  


“Ehehe. Well, you know,” Natsuki takes the compliment well. “Just hurry and take one!” Sayori, Monika, and I all grab a cupcake for ourselves.

  
  


“It's delicious!” Sayori exclaims with her mouth full, having already started eating hers. She's managed to get icing on her face, to which I can't help but snicker softly at. I admire the cupcake for a minute, glancing Natsuki watching me out of the corner of my eye. “Oh, it's almost too cute to eat,” I sigh. “Sorry kitty, but you're too tasty-looking not to,” I chuckle as I take a bite out of the cupcake. The flavor hits my taste buds instantly. “Oh man, this is really good!” I exclaim, finishing the cupcake quickly. I turn to look at Natsuki, who quickly tries to hide her smile. “Thanks, Natsuki,” I tell her, to which she crosses her arms and huffs in response.

  
  


“W-Why are you thanking me? It's not like I...!” She speaks, looking away. “...Made them for you or anything.”

  
  


“I mean, I didn't say that. I thought you made them for everyone,” I respond. “Though, I might have to enlist you to do the baking for my next birthday or something,” I add with a grin.

  
  


“Ha...” She grins slightly. “You're gonna have to prove your worth first!”

  
  


“By doing what, winning an eating contest?” I ask jokingly.

  
  


“By _paying_ me to do it, dummy!” She sighs, giving me an “are you serious” look.

  
  


“...You know, that _does_ work,” I muse. “I _was_ joking about the eating contest though. We all know Sayori would win before me,” I chuckle, looking over at the girl who was now going for her second cupcake. “I'd definitely be happy to pay you to bake stuff though,” I remark, looking back at Natsuki.

  
  


“Well, my rates are quite high, so we'll have to see if you can afford my services first!” She grins, putting her hands on her hips.

  
  


“Heh, I suppose we will,” I reply. _...I wonder if I actually __have__ money here? Shit, gonna be difficult otherwise..._ I'm snapped out of my thoughts as Yuri brings an entire tea set over to the table. “Whoa, they let you keep that in here?” I ask her.

  
  


“Mhmm,” She nods in response, setting a teacup down next to everyone and filling it up with tea, before putting the teapot by the cupcake tray. “After all, doesn't a hot cup of tea help you enjoy a good book?”

  
  


“I can imagine it does,” I muse. “I do like tea and reading, though I've never combined the two...”

  
  


“Ehehe, don't let yourself get intimidated,” Monika interjects. “Yuri's just trying to impress you.”

  
  


“Eh?!” Yuri gasps, surprised by Monika's interjection, looking away as if Monika just insulted her. “T-That's not...”

  
  


“...When did I seem intimidated?” I ask, looking at Monika with a confused expression, before looking back at Yuri. “Don't worry, you weren't intimidating me,” I assure her.

  
  


“I'm glad...” She smiles faintly.

  
  


“W-Well, um... I thought you might be...” Monika laughs nervously.

  
  


“Hey, I'm pretty sure if I was intimidated, Sayori would definitely notice. Provided she isn't still chowing down on cupcakes,” I reply, glancing back at Sayori who is now going for her _third_ cupcake. Is she going to leave any left for the rest of us?

  
  


“R-Right...” Monika stutters in response.

  
  


“Relax, Monika. I wouldn't have come if I didn't intend on checking out the club,” I grin. I can tell I'm definitely throwing her off, though I can see her smile very slightly to my response.

  
  


“Anyway... what made you consider the Literature Club?” She asks.

  
  


“Well, Sayori is very convincing. Let's just say that,” I chuckle. “She'd asked me earlier today about checking out some clubs, but she caught me before I started looking. If you ask me, I think she was hoping for me to come here in the first place,” I explain, looking over to Sayori who is definitely hearing the conversation, as she's trying not to look at me as she blushes and smiles nervously.

  
  


“Well, we'll make you feel right at home!” Monika exclaims. “As president of the Literature Club, it's my duty to make the club fun and exciting for everyone!”

  
  


_Is making your fellow club members and friends meet their demise what you consider “fun and exciting,” Monika?_ I shake the sudden negative thought out of my head. “Well, I certainly feel quite welcomed,” I comment. “I'm surprised, though – What made you decide to start your own club?”

  
  


“Ahaha... Well, you know...” She starts. “To be honest, I can't stand all of the politics around the major clubs. It feels like nothing but arguing about the budget and publicity and how to prepare for events... I'd much rather take something I personally enjoy and make something special out of it,” she explains. “And if it encourages others to get into literature, then I'm fulfilling that dream!” She adds with a smile.

  
  


“Hm, very good reasons,” I nod. “I'm not a fan of politics myself. I'd rather just do something, y'know, actually enjoyable.”

  
  


“Monika is a great leader!” Sayori pipes up, and Yuri nods in agreement.

  
  


“I'm surprised you don't have more people interested in joining then,” I remark. “Must be difficult starting a new club, I guess.”

  
  


“You could say that,” she responds with a slight laugh. “Especially when it's something that doesn't grab people's attention, such as literature.”

  
  


“Well hey, this club seems pretty welcoming and friendly,” I smile. “So where do I sign my name for officially joining? Is there an official process we gotta do? I've never joined a club before,” I ask with a chuckle.

  
  


Sayori's eyes light up. “Oh wow, Michael!” She exclaims, giving me an unexpected hug. “I didn't actually expect you to join...!”

  
  


“If you just came for the cupcakes, I'd be super pissed,” Natsuki says.

  
  


“Hey, you can't deny that they _were_ very influential in my decision to join,” I reply with a grin.

  
  


“So, Michael, what kinds of things do you like to read?” Yuri asks me.

  
  


“Oh, well...” I scratch my head. “Hard to say, honestly. I just pick up anything that sounds interesting to me. I'm actually not very picky. As long as it's a good read, I'll probably enjoy it.”

  
  


“I see...”

  
  


“What about you, Yuri? What're your tastes in literature like?”

  
  


“Well, let's see...” She closes her eyes as she traces the rim of her teacup with her finger. “My favorites are usually novels that build deep and complex fantasy worlds. The level of creativity and craftsmanship behind them is amazing to me.” _Man, hearing her talk about this makes me think of my own fantasy worlds..._ “And telling a good story in such a foreign world is equally impressive. But you know, I like a lot of things.” She goes on for a while, elaborating on her various interests in literature.

  
  


“Wow, that's impressive, Yuri,” I blink in surprise. “I definitely will have to ask you for book recommendations.”

  
  


“Ah, well... I could certainly give you quite a few...” She smiles, apparently liking the idea.

  
  


“Anyway...” I say, turning to Monika. “Is there anything else you've got in mind for this club meeting?”

  
  


“Um... No...” She sighs. “I... guess that's it for this club meeting, then!” She smiles awkwardly.

  
  


“Heh, fair enough. I can imagine that getting a new member is a big deal for you, so you probably didn't plan for much else besides making me feel welcome.”

  
  


“Ahaha, yeah, I guess...” She looks to the side, frowning slightly.

  
  


“Well, thank you for having me,” I bow. “I'll definitely enjoy my time here.”

  
  


At that moment, Sayori walks up to me. “Michael!” She smiles. “Do you want to walk home with me today?”

  
  


“I'd love to, Sayori,” I smile back. “Let's go.”

  
  


“Yaaay!” She jumps for joy, already making her way out of the clubroom. I start walking out myself, but I look back, seeing as Monika isn't leaving. She looks a bit upset... Well, I'd try to ask her if she's okay, but I don't really want to keep Sayori waiting. I can already hear her going down the stairs. “Have a nice day, Monika!” I wave as I exit the clubroom. I can just barely hear her response.

  
  


“Y-You too...!”

  
  


With that, Sayori and I make our way out of the school and start walking home. We take our time as we do so, since I wanted to catch up with her. It's very clear that she enjoys it, given all the smiling and laughter coming from her, and eventually the talk dies down. We make it all the way to our houses before she speaks up again. “So Michael, did you enjoy the Literature Club?” She asks me.

  
  


“Yeah, I did. Thanks for convincing me to check it out, Sayori.”

  
  


“Ehehe, you're welcome. I know you'll have a great time there!” She beams, pumping up both fists.

  
  


“I think I will too. Natsuki and Yuri seem like very good people, and it was nice to see Monika again.”

  
  


“Yeah, they're really great...” She replies, looking to the side a bit sadly.

  
  


“Hey, you're the greatest in the club, don't forget that!” I grin, jabbing her in the side lightly with my elbow.

  
  


“You really think so?” She tilts her head.

  
  


“Nah.”

  
  


“Oh...” Her head falls in disappointment.

  
  


“I _know_ so,” I grin, lifting her chin up and booping her nose.

  
  


“Ehehe, you're always making me laugh, Michael...”

  
  


“Hey, you're always making me smile and laugh with your antics. It's only fair I give you the same treatment,” I chuckle.

  
  


“Yeah...”

  
  


I then notice we've been standing in front of our houses for the past few minutes. “Guess this is where we part ways for the night, huh?”

  
  


“I guess so...” She smiles awkwardly. It's clear she wants to spend more time like this, buuuuuut homework's a bitch.

  
  


“Don't worry Sayori, we'll see each other tomorrow. And hey, if you're stuck on homework, just come over and I'll help you with it, like any good best friend would,” I grin, ruffling her hair.

  
  


“Ehehe, alright...” There's a pause for a minute before Sayori speaks up again. “Hey Michael?”

  
  


“Yeah?”

  
  


“Why is your front door open?”


	4. An Unexpected Visit (Chapter 3)

**[Location: Michael's House]**

  
  


  
  


My eyes widen in shock as Sayori says that, my head immediately snapping towards my house. Sure enough, the front door is open. _Oh fuck, did I forget to lock it this morning?!_ “Shit...” I mutter, Sayori sensing my unease.

  
  


“Michael, your parents aren't home yet, are they?” She asks. Normally that's a detail I'd question, but not now, my brain is going into overdrive thinking of possible scenarios, so I roll with it.

  
  


“No, no they are not...” I reply, my unease getting stronger. I knew what I had to do, but I didn't really like it. “Sayori, if I don't text you that everything's okay within like... a few minutes, call the cops, okay?”

  
  


“O-Okay!” She responds, clearly looking worried. I run across the lawn and over to the door. I take a deep breath and enter the house, looking around. _Okay, so I'm a fucking __**moron**__ and someone has possibly broken into my house, which they could still very well __**be**__ here... Shit shit shit!_ I run into the kitchen, quickly opening a drawer and pulling out a sharp-looking knife. _Normally, I'd be concerned about having this, but right now it possibly would save my life._ I look around the living room, nothing seems to have been thrown around nor does anything appear to have been stolen. I'd love to assume it was just some neighborhood cat getting curious or something, but I have to be sure. “Alright, if anyone's in my goddamn house, you'd better come out, because I have a knife and I ain't afraid to use it!” I yell. Suddenly, I hear a noise that came from upstairs. Quickly, I make my way out of the living room and up the stairs. “I ain't kidding around here, I _will_ stab any unwelcome guests trying to steal my shit or whatever!” I shout. I walk over to the door of my room, which seems closed. I can hear a voice inside saying “Oh man, oh man, oh man...!” It sounds... female? Bracing myself, I slowly open the door, knife at the ready. But I'm definitely not prepared for what I see as my eyes widen upon seeing who it is.

  
  


“WHY THE _FUCK_ ARE YOU IN MY HOUSE?!”

  
  


Standing in my bedroom is Monika, her expression is one of fear. _Why the fuck would she be scar-- Ohhhh yeah, I have a knife and I was yelling at the top of my lungs that I wasn't afraid to stab with it._ I blink in surprise for a moment, then sigh and put the knife away. Monika's expression changes slightly, but I'm honestly not thinking about it because I enter the room, looking her over carefully. “No seriously, why are you in my house, Monika?” I ask her, crossing my arms.

  
  


“W-Well, you see, I saw your front door open, s-soooo I was wondering if someone broke into your house...!” She stammers.

  
  


“Yeah, and I'm a skeleton who will give you an unpleasant experience,” I deadpan. “Cut the crap, why are you _actually_ here? I know I closed my front door at the very least before I left this morning.”

  
  


“Alright, fine...” She sighs, realizing that her lie didn't work. “I actually came here because...”

  
  


“Because _why?_”

  
  


“...Because we need to talk,” she looks at me with an unreadable expression on her face.

  
  


“...Wait, seriously?” I raise an eyebrow, squinting at her skeptically. “Monika, if you wanted to talk, you could have asked me after the club. You know, like a normal person?”

  
  


“Ahaha... W-Well, I didn't want to ruin your walk home with Sayori...” She chuckles nervously.

  
  


“I mean, I don't think Sayori would have minded waiting for me. I got the impression she wanted me to get along with all of her friends in the club,” I shrug, before my eyes widen in realization. _Oh shit, Sayori's probably about to call the cops, it's been a few minutes._ Monika tilts her head at me in confusion as I whip out my phone. “Sorry, I freaked the fuck out when Sayori pointed out my front door was open, so I told her if I didn't text her back in a few minutes that she should call the police,” I explain, Monika's eyes widening as she smiles nervously. _So instead of asking me after the club, you decided to break into my house? Thaaaaaaaat's creepy._ I shake the thought out of my head as I text Sayori – 'hey so I just finished checking the house and everything's fine, sorry for making you worry sayo'

  
  


Sayori's response is almost instant – 'omg I'm so glad you're ok!! you looked really worried and I didn't want anything to happen to you!!' _Man, how do I have such a good friend like her?_

  
  


“Okay, so that's been taken care of...” I breathe a sigh of relief, before looking back at Monika. “Alright, so what did you want to talk to me about?” She takes a deep breath and looks me dead in the eyes before she speaks.

  
  


“I know who you are, Michael.” Suddenly I feel a chill down my spine but don't let it show. “Uh huh...” I reply, giving her a look of visible confusion. _Oh shit, I didn't plan on dealing with this so soon._ “Well Monika, I'm surprised that you do, after all, _I_ sure ain't popular.”

  
  


“I'm not talking about that,” she replies, though I can't quite place her tone. “You should know very well what I'm talking about.”

  
  


“Monika, I assure you, I have no fucking idea what you mean,” I respond, desperately hoping that she's talking about literally anything other than what I think she is. She sighs, looking slightly irritated, before she walks right up to me.

  
  


“You're... _the player._” I remain silent as I look her in the eyes, trying to figure out her game here. “The fact that you're not immediately responding to that like I'm crazy tells me that I'm right,” she remarks, her voice seeming... happy? She smiles wide as she starts to hug me. _NOOOOOOOPE._ I immediately squirm out of the hug, looking absolutely uncomfortable, as Monika tilts her head, looking at me with an expression of saddened confusion.

  
  


“Okay... Don't... D-Don't touch me without my consent first...” I breathe.

  
  


“Oh... did... you not like that...?” She asks, sounding concerned, but sad.

  
  


“I have a touch aversion. Which, if you're not aware of what that is, means that I get extremely anxious and uncomfortable at being touched without consenting to it beforehand,” I explain. “Sorry if I made you upset, but I... haven't really had a lot of good experiences with people, so I've built up defense mechanisms like that.”

  
  


“I see...” She looks down at the floor. There's a moment of silence between us before I sigh.

  
  


“Alright, well... You figured it out. I am the player,” I tell her.

  
  


“But... how?” She asks. “How are you here...?”

  
  


“I'm just as clueless as you are, I'm afraid. All I remember is going to sleep, then having a dream where I felt like I was falling,” I scratch my head. “Though this one was different.”

  
  


“Different?”

  
  


“Instead of falling through blue, cloudy skies, I was falling through a starry void. Usually 'falling dreams' don't last long, but this one felt like it lasted forever. Then my alarm clock woke me up, but it took me a few minutes before I realized that I wasn't at my... er, real home.” Monika stays silent, looking away as if she was uncomfortable. I take a deep breath and prepare myself as best as I can. _Oh boy, here we go._ “Anyway, while we're here, I did have one question for you.” She looks at me, wondering what I could possibly have to ask her.

  
  


“Do you remember?” Her eyes widen slightly when I say that.

  
  


“R-Remember...?” Her voice quivers.

  
  


“What you did to them?” My tone gets serious as I look her dead in the eyes. They glisten with fear. _Yes. Yes, you do, don't you?_

  
  


“T-To who?” She shivers. I'm not sure if she genuinely doesn't remember or if she's trying to play this off.

  
  


“The other club members. _Your friends._” My voice seeps with a little bit of venom as I say that last part, but Monika slowly steps back.

  
  


“W-What are you talking about...?!” I can hear the fear in her voice as she now is trying to keep her distance from me.

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


“_You __**killed**__ them._”


	5. Consequences (Chapter 4)

**[Location: Michael's House, Bedroom]**

  


  


Monika's eyes widen and I see her pupils shrink, the fear on her face is plain as day. “K-Killed them...?!” Her voice is quiet, filled with terror.

  


  


“It seems you must not remember. _So let me remind you._” My voice seeps with venom, I'm not even sure if I have any control over what I'm saying anymore. “First, you toyed with Sayori. Sweet, cheerful... and depressed Sayori. Oh yes, you slowly ramped up her depression until it was too much. You know what you said on the day it happened? 'You really left her hanging this morning, you know?' _Oh, how __**hilarious.**__ Let's all have a round of __**applause**__ for that well-crafted and tasteless joke._” I pause to clap my hands sarcastically. “Because she hung herself in her room. That was the joke. What a _lovely_ sight to see!”

  


  


Monika isn't even looking at me at this point, but I keep going. “Then there was Yuri. You flipped her entire personality on its head, making her lose her mind before she ultimately _stabbed_ herself. _Twice._ You know how much fun it is to watch someone's lifeless body slowly decay over a weekend? It's really not at all enjoyable. At least Natsuki got off lucky, unless getting _erased from existence_ is more painful when you're alive than actually dying.” I stop and sigh exasperatedly. “And for _what?_ An eternity in some room floating in a space-like void, just you and I? What kind of life is that? You're telling me you'd throw away your friends and everything else just for one person?! I couldn't even interact or do anything but listen to you talk! Okay yeah, I'm a good listener, but when I don't even have the opportunity to _fucking speak?_ Why would I want to spend eternity like _that?!_ I'd sooner just off myself, because at least death is like _sleep!_ God, someone like you doesn't deserve to be loved...”

  


  


I take a pause for breath, but before I can keep going, I'm interrupted by a sound I didn't expect to hear. I stop and look at Monika, who is curled up into a ball on the floor, crying. _You overdid it, dumbass._ I sigh and walk over to her. “I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry...” I can hear her faintly saying in between sobs. I kneel down next to her and put a hand on her shoulder; she slowly looks up at me, tears still running down her face.

  


  


“Monika, I... I'm sorry. That was too much,” I try my best to calm her down. “I let my negativity pour out, like I usually do when I'm not in control of my emotions.”

  


“I didn't... I didn't want any of that...” She quivers. “I thought that... they weren't real...”

  


“They were real, Monika. Not self-aware like you, but... they were still real,” I pause to take a deep breath. “And they were still your friends... weren't they?”

  


“Yes... Yes, they were...”

  


“...You know, I made a decision that wasn't easy.” She stops and looks at me, confused. “I deleted you, like you deleted the others. It was the only thing I could think of that gave me any sort of power to change things.”

  


Monika looks at the floor, dejectedly. “Well, I definitely deserved it, ahaha...” She laughs, but it's not a happy laugh. “Michael... Is that even your name?”

  


“Well yes, actually. I thought it would be cute or something,” I reply, shrugging lightly.

  


“...What you said just a couple minutes ago, you were right,” she looks back at me with the most defeated, worn-out expression. “Someone like me doesn't deserve to be loved.”

  


“Damn it, Monika. I... I didn't mean that,” I sigh. “I get worked up a lot and I say a lot of awful shit. Heh, I'm a terrible person... If anyone doesn't deserve to be loved, it's me.”

  


“Michael, you're not--” She starts to speak, but I put a finger to her lips.

  


“Look. It's complicated. I don't think what you did to the other girls was right, but... I do feel bad for you. I can only imagine what it's like for you to feel like you're the only real being in your whole world,” I explain. “But... seeing you right now... You regret it all, don't you?”

  


Monika nods slowly in response. “I... yes. I regret all the awful things I did to them.”

  


“Well, that's good enough to me.”

  


“But... don't you want me to apologize to you as well...?”

  


“Ha, you already said sorry like three times...” I give her a small grin. “But really, I think the ones you should be apologizing to are the others. Even though they probably don't remember, except maybe Sayori...”

  


“Then how... how can I apologize if they don't remember?” She looks at me with regret and confusion.

  


I scratch my chin for a moment. “Hm... I don't really know. Maybe you should just try being a really good friend, and helping them with their issues? Heck, I know I'd certainly want to do that...” I trail off, looking out the window. Monika follows my gaze, noticing what I'm looking at. From my bedroom window, it's possible to see into Sayori's as well. She's sitting happily on her bed, probably singing a song, or something...

  


“...You really like her, don't you?” Monika breaks the silence.

  


“...Yeah.”

  


“W-Well, she was the main character's childhood friend... S-So I can see why...”

  


“It's not just that. I quickly took a liking to her cheerful attitude and silly antics. I admired her desire to always make people happy. Heh, and I could relate to always being hungry...” I put a hand on my stomach, which is... admittedly bigger than the average person's. “So it was her I picked when I played through the game. She really felt like someone I'd cherish as a close friend. But I'd felt something wasn't quite right, so when she revealed that she had depression...” I stop to take a deep breath. “It hit me. Her happy and cheerful attitude was a mask to hide how she really felt. 'The saddest people smile the brightest,' or however the saying goes... and I could relate to that. I know what depression is like, and I felt terrible that she also had to go through that. When the day of the festival came, and she didn't come outside, I was freaking out. I had a pretty good idea what happened to her, since... well, I've had thoughts like that too.” Monika looks at me with genuine concern. “Even though I was... preparing myself for it, it was still a horrible sight to see. I tried so hard to keep my composure and not burst into tears. I just felt awful, even though I knew that there was nothing I could have done.”

“Michael... I'm sorry. I wish I had never done that...”

  


“...I want to see that smile be a genuine one,” I remark sadly. “She deserves to be happy...” I turn to Monika. “As do you, Monika.” She looks at me with a surprised expression.

  


“You... you think I deserve to be happy...?” She questions in disbelief.

  


“Yeah. You just wanted to get your happy ending... You deserve happiness too.”

  


“D-Does that mean...?” She looks at me, hopeful.

  


“...If what you're about to ask is that we start dating or something, I...” I scratch my head. “I'll put it bluntly, I'm _terrible_ at romance. I've never really felt any sort of romantic feelings for anyone. So, while it's not off the table... I feel like it's something that should happen naturally.”

  


“O-Oh... I see, ahaha...” She looks disappointed.

  


“Hey, I'd like to get to know you better, anyway. I know you like me, but even if I don't feel the same way towards you, we can still be good friends, right?” I smile at her. “You deserve that, at least.”

  


“Alright...” Monika slowly smiles back. “I-I think I can accept that.”

  


“Good, then I suppose we do the ol' formal shaking of hands, or something,” I chuckle, holding out my hand.

  


“Ahaha~ Well, I can certainly manage that,” she laughs and shakes my hand. She seems happier now, but I don't want her to get her hopes up only to have them crushed...

  


“Anyhoo, I uh... can't really guarantee you'll exactly keep such a high opinion of me once you learn more about me, though,” I shrug. “As a wise guy once said, reality is often disappointing.”

  


“I think you're being too hard on yourself, Michael. You did feel bad after... well, you know, lashing out at me, ahaha...” She laughs nervously.

  


“Well, just saying. I mean, look at me,” I gesture to myself. “Not exactly the pinnacle of 'attractive' or anything.”

  


“I think you look fine just the way you are,” Monika smiles sweetly. “After all, it would be really boring if you were some perfect hunk with no flaws~!”

  


“Can't argue with that logic, I suppose,” I smirk. “But anyway... it's probably about dinner time. You hungry? I can see what I can attempt to cook. Emphasis on attempt.”

  


“Oh, I'd love to stay for dinner! We can get to know each other better while we share a nice meal.”

  


“I don't know if it'll be as nice as you imagine. I really don't cook besides heating up frozen stuff in the microwave and boiling water for noodles.”

  


“It's the thought that counts, ahaha~” She giggles. “Besides, you'll have me here if you almost set your house on fire,” she adds with a slight smirk.

  


“Wow, if that's what you think is gonna happen, I'll just order pizza or something!” I smirk back.

  


“Oh, can you not meet my expectations?”

  


“Probably not.”

  


“...Michael, you were supposed to say that you could _totally_ meet my expectations~!” She laughs.

  


“What, and embarrass myself? Nice try, Monika, but I'm not falling for that!” I laugh as well.

  


“Well, I guess pizza it is then. Order me vegetarian though!”

  


“Ah, not a fan of meat-lovers?” I tease.

  


“I guess that's one thing you've learned about me already,” Monika smiles, leaning towards me with her hands behind her back.

  


“Heh, guess so. Normally, I'd be thrifty here, but I'm treating a friend, so how 'bout two pizzas, good ol' pepperoni for me, and a good vegetarian one for you?”

  


“That sounds good to me! Just make sure you can actually pay for it, you know~”

  


“...I uh, actually don't know if I have money here, to be totally honest with you. I haven't even seen a wallet that would look as if it belonged to me,” I admit.

  


“Check the drawers of your desk,” she suggests.

  


“Good idea,” I reply, looking through desk drawers before something catches my eye. “Found it!” I exclaim, pulling out a wallet and opening it up. _Oh thank fuck, that sweet sweet paper we give arbitrary value._ “Looks like I've got about... two-hundred bucks?” I comment, looking through the cash. “Wow, that's quite a lot of cash to have on hand.”

  


“Really?” Monika tilts her head. “That doesn't seem like much at all.”

  


“Well, I usually don't keep much cash on me, so I'm not used to this sort of sight. But hey, it's enough for a couple pizzas, so who's complaining?” I grin.

  


“Ahaha, fair enough,” she smiles.

  


“Alright then, let's get ordering!” I pull out my phone and call the nearest pizza place.


	6. Getting to Know You Better (Chapter 5)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obligatory character bonding, because god damn if I ain't writing a little bit of fluff. Still trying to get a foothold on characterization, but I think I'm doing halfway decent? Hell if I know.

  
  


  
  


**[Location: Michael's House, Living Room]**

  
  


  
  


After I ordered the pizzas, Monika and I sat down on the couch in my living room. “This is a surprisingly nice house,” I comment. “First thing that tipped me off that I wasn't in Washington anymore.”

  
  


“Washington?” Monika tilts her head. “Is that where you're from?”

  
  


“Yeeeep, good ol' Washington, where it rains too much and let me tell you, Seattle ain't all it's cracked up to be.”

  
  


“Oh, I've heard of Seattle, what's it like?” Her eyes light up with excitement; I guess learning about places in the real world seriously excites her.

  
  


“Well, it's been like 7 years since I was last there – I don't travel much, you see – But _man_, Seattle has way too much traffic. Took forever to catch a bus, felt like longer riding on it. All I was doing was going to the zoo. Which, by the way, sucks these days.” I pause and sigh. “Used to be a place I'd visit every year at least, but that was the last time I went down there at all.”

  
  


“I see... So that must have been really disappointing for you.”

  
  


“It was, but eh, nothing stays the same, I guess,” I shrug.

  
  


“Well, it sounds like you've got a lot of life experience, ahaha...”

  
  


“You could put it that way, but frankly, I'm more of a person who doesn't go outside unless they have to.”

  
  


“Oh, is that so?” Monika flashes me a devious smile. “Maybe we'll have to change that~”

  
  


“Give me a good reason to, and you might succeed.”

  
  


“I think you could use the exercise!” She lightly pokes me in the gut.

  
  


“Far too lazy for that, plus my eating habits mean that I wouldn't be losing weight anyway.”

  
  


“Really? I guess you need some motivation, ahaha~!”

  
  


“Monika, if you're suggesting I exercise with you, I get tired way too easily. Just walking for half an hour tires me out.”

  
  


“Oh, were you expecting that I'd hold you up to _my_ standards~? I wouldn't think you'd ever be able to keep up with me.”

  
  


“Good, keep expectations low. I'm a guy who's below standards,” I grin slightly. Before we can continue the banter, however, the doorbell rings. “Oh, guess that's the pizza,” I comment, getting up and walking to the door.

  
  


When I bring the pizzas back, I notice that Monika appears to be upset. “Something wrong, Monika?” I ask, setting the pizzas down on the coffee table.

  
  


“...You don't think very highly of yourself, do you?”

  
  


“Nope, I most certainly do not,” I reply, sitting down on the couch next to her.

  
  


“Why is that?” She looks at me, concern written on her face.

  
  


“Why should I think highly of myself? Having an ego helps nobody.”

  
  


“I mean, not _that_ highly of yourself, no. But you don't seem to have any self-worth.”

  
  


“Well, of course not. I'm inherently worthless.”

  
  


“No you aren't!” Monika shouts, startling me. “How could you say that about yourself?”

  
  


“I'm an overly negative and cynical person who gives nothing of value to the world, that's how.” There's an awkward silence before Monika speaks up.

  
  


“...Michael, do you have depression?”

  
  


“Uhhh... why do you ask?” I try to think of how I can deflect the question so as not to appear weak.

  
  


“Well, when you were talking about Sayori, you said that you could relate to her, and that you knew what depression was like...” _Fuck, what do I tell her?_

  
  


“I mean, yeah, I've... known people with depression before.” _Not my best answer, but it's true enough that hopefully she won't press the subject further._

  
  


“...I see...”

  
  


“Hey, why don't we eat the pizza before it gets cold? I ordered breadsticks too. Forgot drinks though. Didn't think to ask what kind you liked.” I try to change the subject. _She can't possibly change what's at the core; suffering and pain forevermore. Don't show weakness._

  
  


“Sure, I guess...” It's clear that she's not going to give up so easily, but maybe she can tell I'm not comfortable talking about that kind of thing. We start eating our pizza, an incredibly awkward silence between us as the last conversation left us at a loss on what to talk about next.

  
  


“Welp,” I finally break the silence. “There's one thing I'm wondering, it's actually pretty important.”

  
  


“What is it?” Monika looks at me, a mix of confusion and concern on her face.

  
  


“Since you're here, doing this... What's that mean for the game's script?” Her eyes widen as I ask that. “It seems like me just being here changed a lot of things.”

  
  


“I... honestly don't know,” she admits.

  
  


“Think it would be possible for you to check?”

  
  


“I can try,” she closes her eyes. There's an unbearable silence for a couple minutes. _She has to be looking through tons of data per second... She's definitely got a strong mind._ Suddenly, she winces in pain, gritting her teeth.

  
  


“Whoa, you okay there, Monika?” I ask, getting closer to her. _Shit, I hope she doesn't strain herself._

  
  


“I'm... I'm f-fine, I think...” She groans, opening her eyes.

  
  


“You sure? I don't exactly know how that works, so I have no idea what you just went through.”

  
  


“Ahaha~... It's so nice to see that you care about me,” she smiles, blushing lightly.

  
  


“I mean, we're friends, aren't we? That's just what friends do,” I reply, getting up and heading to the kitchen, coming back with a glass of water. “Here, have some water, might help.” She nods and takes the glass, drinking it.

  
  


“Thanks for that, I needed it.”

  
  


“No problem. So, what did you see there?” Monika pauses, trying to put the words together.

  
  


“It's... hard to explain. I guess the simplest way of putting it is that the original script no longer applies. There were bits and pieces left for today, but beyond that... I don't know.”

  
  


“So... you have no idea what could happen next?”

  
  


“No, I don't... it's both exciting and terrifying at the same time, ahaha...”

  
  


“Yes, I can imagine... You've probably gotten used to knowing what happens. I could tell I was throwing you off at the club today.”

  
  


“Yeah, you were. I'm a little bit mad about that~” She laughs, leaning in towards me.

  
  


“Well, I couldn't be too careful. I didn't want to let anything bad happen, y'know.”

  
  


“Mm... Well, you had your reasons to act like that...” Monika looks away, frowning. _Guess she's still upset about the whole... you know._

  
  


“Hey, if the original script no longer applies, I think we can change things for the better,” I put a hand on her shoulder, smiling. “After all, what's this game got to throw at us? We can make happiness in the Literature Club.”

  
  


“...Do you promise?” She looks back at me, her emerald eyes glistening with tears. _Geez, I'm not one to make promises that I'm not certain I can keep, but she looks so damn sad... Well, I'll do my best, I guess._

  
  


“I promise. All of you deserve happiness,” I assure her.

  
  


“Does that include you, too?” I look away, silent. _No. I don't deserve anything of the sort. I'm an awful person._ My lack of response causes Monika to move closer to me. “Michael... I want you to be happy too.” _Damn it, I'm not prepared for this kind of thing..._ “...Is it okay to hug you?” I nod silently, still not able to find the words as she wraps her arms around me.

  
  


“Ha, this feels nice...” I comment quietly. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Monika smile. We sit like that for a minute before I finally cave. “Alright,” I sigh, turning to look at her. “I'll try and be happy. For your sake.”

  
  


“Thank you, Michael~... I won't let you down,” she says with a smile. _She looks so happy. It's really going to suck for her to have her heart broken._

  
  


“Yeah yeah, don't let it get to your head. You're just lucky that I have a weakness for sappiness.”

  
  


“And just like Sayori, I'm exploiting that weakness~!” She smirks mischievously.

  
  


“Oh no, now I'm going to have two friends exploiting my weaknesses. Whatever shall I do?” I chuckle.

  
  


“I guess you'll just have to deal with it! Sorry Michael, but I have no weaknesses~”

  
  


“Ah, but you said being perfect would be boring. Soooo...”

  
  


“Oh-- but-- Argh, I have no argument for that!”

  
  


“Ha, guess you have a weakness for good logic,” I smirk.

  
  


“Okay, maybe I do have _one_ weakness...” Monika pouts.

  
  


“Well anyway, it's getting late,” I remark, glancing at the clock. “You probably want to be getting to bed, don't you?”

  
  


“Are you not going to bed?” She tilts her head.

  
  


“Oh, I stay up late pretty much all the time. Don't worry about me.”

  
  


“But Michael...” She smiles awkwardly. “It's a school night.”

  
  


“...Fuck. Right,” I sigh, facepalming. “I'm not used to that. 100% not a morning person.”

  
  


“Ahaha, I can relate to that. I always need a good cup of coffee in the morning to wake me up.”

  
  


_Aaaaaand now I've just had a thought._ “...Okay, forgive me, but I think it's something I should ask... Where exactly do you live?” Monika has a look of realization on her face after I ask that.

  
  


“I... don't even know if I actually _have_ a place to live,” she admits. “The game never really had me outside of the school.”

  
  


“Yeah... that's going to be a problem. Would you be able to just claim any house as your own?”

  
  


“I'd have to try. Buuuut I'm kinda tired, so that'll be a task for tomorrow.”

  
  


“Well, you're free to spend the night here,” I offer.

  
  


“Oh, I'd love to!” Monika exclaims, before clasping her hands over her mouth, realizing that might have been a poor choice of words. “I-I mean, I'd appreciate that...”

  
  


“Heh, it's fine, Monika. I know how you feel, no need to be ashamed about it,” I chuckle, getting up and putting the leftover pizza in the fridge. “Come on, I'm pretty sure I have a guest room,” I say as I start walking up the stairs, Monika following behind me. “Ooookay, I think it's this one.” I open a door to a room that's next to my bedroom. Sure enough, it's a guest bedroom. “Alright, well, here you go, Monika,” I gesture, stepping aside to let her walk through.

  
  


“Thank you, Michael,” she smiles at me.

  
  


“No problem. Have a good night, Monika.”

  
  


“You too!” She chirps back, closing the door behind her. I walk over to my bedroom and close the door behind myself as I enter. “Welp, guess I'd better get to sleep... Right after I change out of these clothes,” I sigh, realizing I never changed since I got home. After a quick change into more comfortable clothing, I climb into bed, pulling the covers over me. “Hopefully I can manage to get good sleep tonight...” I mumble as I turn off the light and try to fall asleep.


	7. Shadows of Doubt (Chapter 6)

**[Location: ???]**

  
  


  
  


I wake up, getting out of bed with a yawn. “Wow, feels like I slept like the dead,” I muse, feeling more awake than usual. Oddly, my door is open. “Strange, I know I closed it last night,” I blink, before shrugging it off. “Monika probably woke up before I did. Guess she wanted to see if I was awake yet. Dunno why she didn't close the door though.” I quickly get dressed and make my way out of the room. The hallway is unusually dark. “Damn, I guess it's still dark out... That's going to be fun to walk in,” I groan, before noticing the door to the guest room is closed.

  
  


  
  


“...Why did she close her door but not mine?” I decide to head over and knock on the door. “Hey, you awake in there?” I ask. No answer. “...Welp. Maybe she's downstairs,” I shrug, walking over to the stairs and heading down. It's still dark. “You uh... making breakfast in the dark, Monika?” I ask, hoping for a response. Still no answer. “Geez, either I woke up before she did, which is unusual for me to wake up so early, or she left without saying a word.” I'm starting to feel a bit uneasy, but I walk into the kitchen.

  
  


  
  


“Since I'm up, I might as well get some food going,” I sigh, walking over to the stove. It's then that I notice that the clock isn't on. “Fuck, the power's out...” I grumble, making my way over to the cupboards, looking for cereal or something. I find a couple boxes of Pop-Tarts, so I open one and pull out a couple packs. “Heh, even as an adult, I can't resist the taste of these.” I pause, getting an idea. “Sayori would probably love me coming over and bringing her some,” I chuckle softly. “Well, why not?” I grab another pack from the box, making my way over to the door. “She probably doesn't have power either, so...”

  
  


  
  


Heading outside, the street is dark, the lights all being off. “Damn, looks like it's the whole street.” I sigh and walk over to Sayori's house. “Hey sleepyhead, guess who's here with breakfast?” I grin as I knock on the door... I don't get an answer. “She must really be sleeping in... Well, I...” I put my hand on the doorknob and turn it. The door opens. “...Why didn't Sayori lock her door?” I ask myself, concern seeping into my voice. Looking into the house, it's dark. “Hoo boy, here goes...” I mumble, walking inside.

  
  


  
  


“Sayori? I hope you're awake, or else I'm really gonna feel awkward doing this...!” I laugh awkwardly, making my way to the stairs. _Gee, the architect for this neighborhood sure was lazy. All these houses look pretty much identical in terms of layout._ I walk up the stairs and over to a door which I assume leads into Sayori's room. I knock on the door, feeling uneasy. “Hey, you awake, sleepyhead?” I call out, but don't get an answer. I decide against my better judgment to open the door...

  
  


  
  


**(Monika's POV)**

  
  


  
  


I slowly open my eyes as I wake up. I feel... different, but I'm not sure how. I didn't experience the colors or the noises tonight... It has to be Michael. Him being here must do something to prevent that from happening. I smile as I get out of bed, quickly getting dressed so that I don't miss any opportunity to spend some time with him today. As I walk out of the room, I notice that his bedroom door is closed. _I guess he's still asleep. That's pretty cute~! I'll just have to surprise him with a nice healthy breakfast..._

  
  


  
  


I make my way downstairs and into the kitchen. I start looking around to see what ingredients Michael has, but it doesn't seem like he has anything. Well, except a box of something called 'Pop-Tarts' on the counter, which looks open. Confused, I look in his freezer to find... _Frozen foods?! That's not very healthy at all, Michael. It's a good thing I'm here to make sure you have something good to eat~!_ A sly grin creeps onto my face as I get an idea. I'll just code in the best breakfast ever! That should definitely impress him. Hopefully I don't screw it up...

  
  


  
  


  
  


_Let's see, what would Michael like?_ I ponder this for a bit. I don't think he wants something super fancy... I know! With some effort, I manage to code in some buttered toast. _That... really isn't much. I should add some eggs, too._ It takes me a while, but I manage to code in some scrambled eggs! It still isn't enough though. Something's missing... _Oh, he also needs a drink too!_ I quickly code in a glass of orange juice. Now it's perfect! Michael will be so surprised when he wakes up...

  
  


  
  


_Ḏ͎͘o̪̜͇̘̻̝̝ ̶y͔̝̳͙̙ͅo͍̣̲̭u͎͔̝̣̘ ̢͇rȩ͓͇͓͈̹̲͖a̼͉͙̩ḻ͚͉͘ļ͍̺̻͈͕͍̰y͕̟ t̻̻̟ͅh̳͓̭͈͕̕i͝n̝̻̭͕̺̝k͉ ̢͚̹͚t̸̲̘h҉a̡t ̮͉̰͕͢h̳̹͇̙̲e͍̳̙͡'҉̹̩̻̠̗l̵̟̫͓̱̘l͉ ͔̮̫ḙ̣͖̦̤͖͘v͈͘ͅe̴r ̼̠̫̤͠l͜o͏̼v̭͎̝ḛ̼̟͜ ͉͇y҉o̲̗̱̙̝̖̯͜u̞̪̣ ͍͓̣̹̜ͅa̭̘̦̺͞f̫t͙̲ȩ͕r̫̮̳̩̯ ̢̺̯̩̥w̻̳̞̠h͚͝a̯͕̝̼̪͝ͅṭ̳ ͅyo̴͍̼̟u͍'̝͓̣̹̦͍̙vḙ̵͔̦̭ͅͅ ̧͖̥d̨̲̤̙ͅo̝̣̜̙̠̭n̥͎̭e̳̟̦͇͖?͙̳̤̘̟_

  
  


  
  


I frown as that thought runs through my head. He seemed so upset that he lashed out at me yesterday... He said he'd rather that a relationship happen naturally, but that it wasn't out of the question... No. I can't despair. I just have to try my hardest! He'll surely come around eventually, right? I tell myself that, but I'm not really sure. _I hope Michael wakes up soon..._

  
  


  
  


**(Michael's POV)**

  
  


  
  


...Nobody's in the room. It feels completely devoid of life, and it's honestly pretty unsettling. “Geez, now I just feel _really_ awkward, Sayori!” I laugh nervously. _What the **fuck** is going on?_ I feel like someone's behind me, so I turn around, thinking it's Sayori. But nobody's there. “Okay, now I'm just uncomfortable,” I mutter as I close the door and walk back downstairs. Deciding that there's no point in sticking around, I leave Sayori's house and walk out onto the street.

  
  


  
  


The darkness is encroaching; it feels like an eternal night, threatening to consume everyone and everything. _...Am I suddenly the last person in the world?_ The thought makes me shiver. I know I like being alone, but that's ridiculous. Surely there have to be other people here... Right? I walk down the street, glancing around at my surroundings. No cars go down the street, no people can be seen, and it's just so dark. I steel myself as I keep walking. I honestly don't even know why I haven't just gone home and back to bed. Then again, I've always had a morbid sense of curiosity.

  
  


  
  


_W̜̮̟͕̲̦͔͝h̸̥̞̤̦͍̯o̱̭̞̣̜ ͘k̲̲̫͔͉͠n̬͎̣͡o͖͉͓̪͚̱͡ͅws̢̝̺͕̜,͎ ̰͖͇̟m͙a̢y̪̺̳̟b҉͎̯͎̩ḙ̷̙ ̺̦̱̪̘̦̣I̢'̵ḽ̯͘l̡͔ ̛̭͎̦͎͉j͕u̹̱s̱̣̼̰͉̱̳t̝̟̖͔ͅ ̝̱k͍͇͍i͈̩̫͕͢l͏̝̬͓̟͚̺l̗̤͇͖̗͘ ͍͡m͢y͟ṣ̗̖̺̦̤ͅe̮̣̥͞l̫͍̩f̭͈͖̪̰̻͉.ͅ _

  
  


  
  


That thought comes out of nowhere, but I think nothing of it. I'm used to such negative thoughts like... that. Finally, after what feels like an eternity I see the school building come into view. “Well, there's something familiar,” I sigh, somewhat relieved. I walk over to the school, opening the door and entering the building. By this point, I don't even question unlocked doors. I wander the halls for a bit; the school is as devoid of life as the rest of the neighborhood. For no particular reason, I decide to head upstairs to where the clubroom is. _Who knows, maybe there I can make sense of this situation..._

  
  


  
  


The stairs creak in the empty school as I climb up to the third floor. I hear my footsteps echo as I walk down to the clubroom. Strangely, there's... light coming from inside? Surprised, I quicken my pace, walking over to the door and opening it without thinking. I'm not prepared for the sight that graces my eyes. Standing in the room is... a figure. I can't make them out, they're totally indistinguishable. But they're not the only one in the room. Sayori's corpse hangs lifelessly from the ceiling, Yuri's corpse lies on the floor, with those all-too-familiar stab wounds, and Natsuki appears to have had her neck broken. Monika was on her knees, sobbing in front of the figure. _Oh... Oh god..._

  
  


  
  


“Why?” Her voice cracked. “Why would you do this?! I... I never wanted this...!”

  
  


“Y͏̠̹̳̝o͙̗̗͠u̬̦͟ ̻͙͇m͏͕͓̱͚̥a͍̦͚͉̰d҉̩̱̠̥̝̰͖ȩ͉͈̜̯̱ ̨̭̰̙̯̰y̮̟̻͈͍̰o͓̰̝u̪̖ŗ͈͙̰ ͎͚c̮̩̞̦͇̪̰͡h̜̙͈o͙̫͇̝̠͎͟ͅi̳̭̭̭͙̫͕͟c̦͈͇̮e̪̺͕̦̲̫̺,͕̻̹̗̫ͅ ͖̱̼̼͜Mo͈̭̩̣̟̦͙n̠̜̦͎i̵͚̙͔̼k̠͉͙̥̮̞͝ͅa.̵̪̰̣̼ͅ ̫̻T̢̘̱̯̬̣̪̠h̬̟ͅḙ̝͈̯̠̠ͅi̙̬̝̹̭͚͔r̙̜͎̗͉̜ ̣̹͝ͅb̗̕l̗̺̳o͞o̜d̶̻̭̰̟ ̴i͍͖̠͔̫̙ṣ̵͉̱ ͉͇o͡n̹͟ ̣̟͍͞y͇͖͈̯o̪͎̤͚ͅu͇r̦̹͚͎͙̱ ͖͇̬̝h̩͍̳͙̠a̘͉n͏͈̰̻̯d̵̩s̛,” the figure said in a foreboding voice.

  
  


“I didn't even do anything to them this time...!”

  
  


“Ar̻̩͚̘̭e̶͇͚̼̜̟ y̺̼o̖u̶͕̝͈̘̜ ̜̯̫͍̭̼ͅr҉̙ͅe̸̮a̟̩̻̻͙͇͍l̝͜ͅl͖̥͟y̖̩̣̩̜̮ ̨͍̺͓͎s̗̝̹͝o̸̩̝̭̭ ̺̺f̹̣̗͖͙͇̗o̖̥͜ọl͕͕͙ͅi̠͕̯͞sh̶͔͈̻̟͓͖ ͕̙̠̞͡t̩̪o̵͉̦̣͇̩͚̻ ̢̺̪͔t̹̟̪̟͖͕͎h̶̪̭̪̺͓i͜n͎̣ͅk̡̰̦̭ ̯̲͇ṯ̩̰h̤̟̞̞͟a̝̳͓̭̞ͅt̩̖͘ ͚̱̦̬͎̳͘t҉̩̲̤̭͎̮͍h̡̟̙̗̞̼̠̤e̳̘̲̳͓ ̯̠̙̙͠s͎̬͓͈̗̱i͎̥͖̞̜͓n̬̱̼͈̥̤͢ͅs̙̥͠ ̤̪̮̙̳̖̱o̸̙͈f̫ ̞̹tḫ̭̗͚̤̖̰e̜ ̜̳̰̼p͖̠a҉̩͇st ̙̭͖̥͍̩̦͟a̩͙̖ͅr̷e̢̗ ̴̻s̠̬̦o̵̻ ȩ̖̲ͅa̵̬̠̮ͅͅs̝̦̫͙̤i̩̦̳͍͎l̘̼̤͍̙̮̟y̸͚͖̯̬͙̖ ͍͇̻͕͡f̵͍̫o̷̯̠r̼̥̺̯͙̫̹g̮͕̩̟̼̮͝i̙̝v̮e͕̹͎̤̮͖n̛̘ͅ?̴̠̣̹”

  
  


“I... I...” She looks so broken right now, even more so than when I lashed out at her... I clench my fists in anger. _Who the hell is this asshole and why is he tormenting these poor girls?!_

  
  


“I̪s̻͖̳̹͉͠ ̝̜͖̗̙ţh͙̞͇̻͇i̘̫̲͙̠̝̙͡s̛̲̭̮̖͈ ̘͇͡r̭͓͚̲̣e̜̬͈͜ͅa̢̤̘͖̪͉̱ll̛̫̱̟̖̯y̶ ̡͓̩͔̭ͅh͉͚̰͓̹̜ͅo̧̯͚͕ͅw̡̪͕͕̘ ̢̮̠t̙̥͡h̛͓̻̠̝͇͕i̶͈̖̪̞̪͈ṣ̺͖͔͉̥̱ ̛̥̱̖w͚̱͈͚͓͙͡o̵͓͚̠̰ͅͅr̝̻̪̥̗̯̖l̙d̹̟̮͚̤̼ͅ ͙w̪̫̥͉̕o̪͕͙̪̗r͡k̡͓̲̰̫̬͖̺s?̩̝̱͖̣” The figure sighs. “P̸̬͕̜̥̮a̛t͕͕͇͎̜̝͔h͖̖͎̻̠̰̤̕e̱͞t̕i͙̹̲͎̘̞̞c̤̬̤̝͍ ̭̲̥̬̙͉͡ͅg̹͚͜ḭ̱̖͢r̲͉̟l͙̩̼̜.̖̲͡ ̵̲̦̬̦ͅY̛o̼̝̪͓͍͙̱͡u̫͕͇̼̘̪͠ ̳̦c̼̰̳̩̥̳a͔n̵̤̼̱̗̗̖'̰̖̣t̻̩̤͎̮͖ ȩv͙͈̬̖̳͍ę̠͖n̸̤̯ ̢̬̳p͖͎̘͚͓͖̭l͙̫̱̞͖a͏̞͚̲̳̜͖̥y̵̱̹̠̗̻̻͉ ҉̟̖̭̖g̸̞̘̺o͇̰̮̫̕d̺͖͖͉̫͓ ̧̘̠̪͉̪̯̪r̶̹̬̖̜ͅi͈̫̩̟̮͘g̸̟̘̬̯̜̘h̷̪̯̹͙̯̣t͙̗.̵”

  
  


Monika looks up, her eyes red with tears. Then, she notices me and gasps in shock. The figure turns around to face me. I get an uncanny sense of deja vu; I feel like I should recognize him, but... nothing.

  
  


“A̤͍h͕̬͚̜̝̯̕ͅ,͕̞ ͍͍̳͓a̷̼͕̠͈n͈͞d͈̗͟ h͔͔̝͓̝͟e̼̰r͉̪̫͍̦e̵̲͔̺̖ ͙̳̣̪͜he͍͉̗͞ ͍̳̱͉̻̭͍is ̫̖̝̕n̸͖̦͖o̦͈̙̝̘̟w.͈͖͉̦͍͙ ̦̹̯͈͉H̭̰͖͓̤̺e̤͚̦̘̫͓̩l̡̳̫͕̗͕̼̭l͈̱̲̭o̻͕̖̻̱̟̦ ͎͔͓̬̟M͏̖ͅi҉͚͖̬͚c̮̣̼͖̭h̯̼a͓͔̳̯͇̺͈e̼͚̻l̼,” the figure greets. “I̡̦ ͡m͓͉̘͉u̡̯̻̺̫s̥̯͚̦̳̝̬t̶͓̦̘͓̮̭ ̴̟ap̭̯͎̭̖̞o̹̫̼̯͠ͅl͚̱̱̙͡o͎̯̲͍g͈͍̮͇͔̤͈i̝͎̟̲̱̪̘͢ẓ̮̖̼͕̭e̻̬̘͇̪̣͖͡.̪̻̠ ̠͔͞Y̸̻̳̹ͅo̼̲̟͕̤̖ͅu̟̦̞̺̺̱̹'̶͈̟͈̫ͅr̝̜̰̳̻̩ͅe̢̦͕̼̣̯͇ ̣l̛̯̙͕a̭t̠̤̫͕̙̖e͈͕ ̻̭̺̳͓͠t͕̳͍͚͘o̧̝̯̖͉̞̖ ̢̗t͕̺̻h̨̠̺͓̹ͅe̪͚̳̰̪̳̻ ̜s̮͍̞h҉̲o͈ͅw̸̜̭̠͇̲͍̫.̛̜̱̰̙͔͈͔”

  
  


“What the _fuck?!_” I exclaim. “Who the hell are you?!”

  
  


The figure chuckles. “W̫͎̜̳o͏̖̻̟u͏l̝͞d̤̺n̶͖'͚̖͎͘t̻̭ ̵͍y̺̱̻̩o̹̕u҉̻͇ ̸̳̪̤̻̙l͉̲̦̰͕̬i̸̟̱k̳͚e̩̣͈͘ ̲̠͈̬t͏̣̻̩o̷͖ ̱k̙̩͇͖̲̤n̛o̴̗͍͉w̡̩̤̬̙̥ͅ?̝̹̮” He grins at me menacingly.

  
  


“Alright buddy, I can tell you're up to no good. You've already killed three of my friends,” I growl, taking a step forward. “I won't let you hurt another.”

  
  


“A̩̲u̵͇̲͎̗̻̪ ҉̜̜͙̱̩̳c͇̻̣̭̠o͙̗̖̻͜n̦̘͚̮̬͍t̬r̵̤̗͇a̹͉̦̲̩i͈̬͇r̡͎̬͔̘̻ͅ,” the figure laughs. “I̳̘̕'v̗͍̥̬ḙ̡͍̹͕̗ ̬̙̻̼̟̹̯a̞̠͇͉͜ͅl̥̝͉̬̞̘r̭͉͖̲̭̙ͅe̩͉͘a̫̩̞͙̘̥͖d͏̫̰̜ͅy ̵͍b̗͙̗͓ͅͅro̟̥͕̰͚̙k̲͔̣̬͇̭e̛n̶ͅ ̡̮̮͓͇͎̹h̴̫̖̳͉e̬̠͇̝͟ṟ̰͓̱̩̠̹ ̱̻͎͖̬s̟̟̣pi̱̩̟͚r̻̦͢i̮͈͘t̵̖̘̩.̘̭̳̦”

  
  


“She regrets what she did. You don't have to torment her with her past sins.”

  
  


“O͎̞h̞͇͈̩͎,̵͈̞͎̟̖̫ M̪̗͚̗̥̕i͙̣ch͓̦̫̩̬͓a̦͍̱̙̞̬ȩ͕ḻ̙͉̰͓.͇̝̣̠͍.̛̯̻.̛” The figure sighs, shaking his head. “S̯̲͔̥͓̱i̱̝̞̗̗̙̯n̫̭̠̗c̙̹̦e ̸̼͇̙̺̬̯w̷̤h͔͖̤͓̹͇͟e̸̝͔͚̮̤͍n̻̫̕.͓̗͈͓͈.̦̰̞.̸” A shadowy tendril rises up from the floor, wrapping itself around Monika and lifting her up as she gasps in fear. I grit my teeth in both shock and anger, getting ready for a fight. “.̸͔͍̲̬̹ͅ.͓̺.̬̘̝̦̭͢w̝̖̳͓e͈̠͖r̭̦̲e̖̺͖̗̙̲ ̰̣͔̘̤YO̳͓̻̜Ṳ ̧̩̯͍t̤͔h͖̳͞e̷͈ ͔̬̣̹͚͎o̹͓̫͍̦̦n̼̬͎̤̪͇e̼͔̜̟̭̝͘ ̢͓̘͖͕̭̮̖w̡h͓̜̥͖̬͉o̪ ̦͙̤͔pa͓̟̱̠̰͟s̥s̠̗̠̦̺̠̭e͇d̩̳͇̜͈̺̦ ͈̼̤̦͠j̩̻̦̫̱̣̜u̥̬̬̻̭̥d̘g̺͓͕̻m̘̙̲̦͇̗͉͜en̨t̥͍͉̜͉?͖͓̘”

  
  


I don't even think at that point, I just yell in rage and dart forward at the figure, surprising them with a hook to the face. He stumbles back a bit, chuckling. “O̤̘̥̬̬h̯̼̞̞͇͕͞,̘̱̙̣̫͉ ̛̦̭̜͍͉t͔̼h̢̺̬̰͔͚͈i͏̼̣̩͎͍̼s̬̕ ̥͔͍̕s̷̗̖̙h̜̩o̩͍̬̼̤̝͠u͚̩̥̞̬͍͉͡l̝̬d̘̳̹̕ ̢̺̦͍b͉͚͇͎͕̫e̥̫̲̕ ̩̥͠f̙͉͚̣̳̲̫u̗̝̠ͅn̠̗͇.” He then throws a hard kick to my stomach, sending me to the floor.

  
  


Monika gasps as the figure stands over me, a devious grin on his face. “N̸o͏̝͖̯̪̯ͅw̯͈̕ ͈̯͙͓̰̫ͅt̖he̺̟̪̘̤͚͞n̲̙͍̺.̹̪̲͠.̙̭̫̹̦̯.̣̱͇̻ ͉̗̤̻͓H͇̦̦͍̺̦o͉͟w̡̺̺̪̦̺̫̺ ̡w̱̖o͚̳̪͎ṳ̧̮̞͔̝l̤͍̻͘d̨͍͎͉̭ ̜̖͙̻y͇̟͇o͚u͈͓̱ ̥̘l̙̝̥͓͘ͅi̳̦̲k̠̖͕̗e̗ ̨ṯ͕̞o̢̙̬̣͕̘ͅ ̘̭͕̞͇s̻e͞e҉̺̳̬̤̹ ͖̬͘h̘͖͓͉̭i̲̝͇͟m̱̟̼͉ ͇̮̱̟̺̝ͅdi̕e̵̗̗̙ ̺̱̤̳͚͖t̺̘̙͔͉̹̬͝o͙̟o̳̭̬̥,̹̫͡ ̥͉̫͎̯̘̭͘M̧̟̤͍͔͚o̟͔̦̯̯̺n̢̙̩̭̖ͅi̫̮k̙͍͕͍͢a̯̺̞̱͍͢?̴͚͎̣”

  
  


“Hey, asshole.”

  
  


“H̦̮̟̪̜m̲̮?̤”

  
  


“Eat shit!” I yell, thrusting my leg upward into his crotch. His face contorts as the wind is knocked out of him and he stumbles back, falling to the floor. I take the moment to get up. “What was that about me _dying?_” I retort, walking over and putting my foot on his chest. He looks angry for a moment, but then he starts laughing. “What's so funny?” I ask, unamused.

  
  


“O̬̮͔̘̮̺ͅh̪͚̯̫̯,̷̼͇̲̘͖̪̗ ̹̲̲̼͔͙j̝ͅͅṷ̤s̫̥̼͚ṯ̣̫̲͈͠ͅ ̙͓̻t͏̻̣̲͈̻he̷̳͍͈̟ ̧̩̱̗͖̳͚f͉̰̦a̗̰͉̱̲̬͉c͟ͅt ̧̠̮͕t̬̪͙h̜̙͎̲a̻͎̰̜̦̯t̲̼̙͉͔͢ ̢̰̼̙ͅy̨̜͙o͈̬͈̗͟u̜̪̰̰̩͙͜ ̣̯̗t̷h̭̼̜̭i͔͓̭͔ṋ͙͎̰k̰͙ ͙͕̰̭͕y̗͖̣̹o͎u̵̘̹̼̘̹ ̧c̹͖͖̠͘a̮̥̹n ҉͍̬̳̗̺͍w͝i̢̥͚̪̳n.̤̹͉” I stomp my foot down on his chest, he screams in pain.

  
  


“You're nothing. I dunno who you are, but if you came here to fuck with me, you just got your ass handed to you.”

  
  


“A̦̱̜̫̱ḩ͔̻̞̬,̭̟͕̪̗ͅ ̪̠w҉͉͔͓̦͔̣e͈͚̗l͈͔̠̦̟̼͈l..͍̗.̻̱͇̺” He coughs up a little bit of blood, grinning.

  
  


“What's that look for?” I scowl at him.

  
  


“I҉̺̼ ̻̝͔͇͖̲t̸̺̣̙͕̞͈̤h͙͎̳̱i̠̱͍͎̦ͅn͘k̠̞̼̗̹̣ ̦̺i̠̤͇̫̤͜t҉̥̺̫̠̜̠̦'̬͈̘͚̕s̘͕̘̣ ̘̺̘̯t҉͉̟͕̗i͉͚͟m̼̗̝͈̤e͙̱̞ ̘̫f̸̫̬͇̹̪̤o̶͙͈̹r̙̗̻̬ ͓̠͍ͅy̫̲͙͓̙͢o̤̺̠̦̹͎͞u͍͢ͅ ̟̝̼̺̠̥t͔͎͓̱̞̠o̮̪̰͖ ̬͟w̱̱̝̣͘a̠͡ͅk̶e҉̪̪̰̞͓̗ ̣̰͕̞̞̝̠͢u͓͕̪p̖̦͍̰ ̷a̴̜͙͖n̞̮̣̝̞̼y̶͚̹w̼͚͎̜͙̞͝a͓̗͇̻̞̰y͖s̠̠̥̥̜͓̲.̱̦̞̪͞”

  
  


“Wha--”

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


And then just like that, the room is filled with a blinding light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy, and here's Chapter 6 finally. Had a bit of writer's block and was struggling to write this, but thanks to some great feedback I received, I got the motivation to power through and finish this up! Things are starting to take hold, but as for what this mysterious figure is all about? Well, you'll just have to wait and see, now, won't you?


	8. A New Day (Chapter 7)

**[Location: Michael's House]**

  
  


  
  


My eyes instantly open as I shoot up in my bed. “Holy shit...” I pant, looking around the room. I can see sunlight coming through the curtains. “So that was some weird fucking dream? Yeah, okay.” I laugh nervously, getting out of bed and stretching. “Well, that's what I get for eating before bedtime...” I try my best to shrug the dream off as I open the door and walk out of my room. Noticing that Monika's door is open, I smile a bit. _Guess that says things are normal. Well, as normal as this entire situation could be._

  
  


  
  


Walking down the stairs, I yawn as I think of what I'm going to eat for breakfast today. However, my train of thought is immediately derailed as I enter the kitchen and see the sight on the table. “Bu-dah-whaaa?” I stammer, blinking in astonishment. On the table is an entire breakfast already laid out for me. _Toast, eggs and some juice. Not bad, but it could use some bacon. And hash browns. Definitely hash browns._ Just then, Monika looks up at me with a smile.

  
  


  
  


“Ahaha, good morning, Michael~!” She chirps. “I see you've noticed my little surprise~!”

  
  


“Ah, yeah. Heh, good morning to you too...” I'm still surprised. “Didn't expect to wake up to breakfast already being made.”

  
  


“Well, I didn't want to just sit around and do nothing while I waited for you to wake up, so I made a nice healthy breakfast for you!”

  
  


“Yeah, hope I didn't keep you waiting too long. I, uh, tend to sleep in.” Monika's smile drops slightly at that, but she doesn't say anything about it.

  
  


“Ahaha, I haven't been waiting that long. It's only been about ten minutes.”

  
  


“Oh. Well, that's good then,” I sigh in relief. “Guess I should sit down and eat, huh?” I add with a chuckle.

  
  


“Yes, you should! It's getting cold~!” She giggles as I sit down and start eating.

  
  


“Not exactly what I'm used to in the morning, but I'm the kind of guy who'll eat almost anything, so I appreciate the fact that you went out of your way to do this for me. Thanks, Monika.”

  
  


“It's the least I could do for you after all you've done for me so far, ahaha...” I notice her blush slightly as she says that.

  
  


“Well hey, you probably noticed the, ah, sad selection I have in the freezer. I ain't exactly a cook, so I can only make do with that.”

  
  


A few minutes pass before I finish eating. “Welp, that'll keep me going for a while,” I say as I wipe my mouth with a napkin. “Solid 7/10 breakfast, Monika.”

  
  


“Oh? Only 7?” Monika raises an eyebrow as she grins slightly. “Why's that~?”

  
  


“It lacked bacon and hash browns,” I reply with a slight smirk.

  
  


“Ahaha, well, I wanted to keep it simple...” She smirks back. “But I guess I'll just have to try harder for next time~”

  
  


“Next time, huh?” I idly remark as I start thinking. “...That reminds me, you don't actually have a house in the game, do you?”

  
  


“Uh, no...” She looks away sadly.

  
  


“Welp, that settles it then. You're staying here with me,” I state matter-of-factly. Monika's face lights up as she looks at me.

  
  


“Y-You really mean it...?!”

  
  


“Hey, can't let you live in the clubroom, after all.”

  
  


“Oh, thank you, Michael~!” She exclaims as she leaps out of her seat and runs towards me before stopping. “...Um... Is it okay to hug you?”

  
  


I chuckle. “Of course,” I reply as I bring her in for a hug. We stay like that for a moment before breaking apart. “Anyway, should probably start getting dressed now.”

  
  


“Ahaha, indeed,” Monika replies. We head upstairs and quickly get dressed. A few minutes later, we head back downstairs. As I'm walking to the door, I'm suddenly hit with a realization.

  
  


“Oh crap, what will Sayori say when she sees us both walking out of my house?” I ask myself out loud.

  
  


“That's a good point...” Monika responds. “You didn't exactly tell her the truth about yesterday, ahaha...”

  
  


“To be fair, I think it would have been weird to tell her that you broke into my house.”

  
  


“Touche.”

  
  


“Regardless, I think she's definitely, uh, gonna ask about it,” I scratch my head. “What should I tell her?”

  
  


“I don't know, I didn't think about it,” she sighs. “Maybe I should just stay behind while you two walk to school together...”

  
  


“I mean, if you want to do that, I guess you can. I wouldn't want you to feel left out, though.”

  
  


“Well, I wouldn't want to make it awkward for you...”

  
  


“Here's an idea: How about I tell her that you came over to catch up with me, and it got late, so I offered to let you stay the night?” I suggest. “That sounds like a good explanation in my head, anyway. That way you don't get left out and it's not awkward for anyone.”

  
  


“Ahaha, you're so sweet, Michael~...” Monika smiles at me. “I'd really like that.”

  
  


“Alright then, it's settled. That's exactly what I'm gonna tell her. Now c'mon, we can't spend the morning standing around by my front door, as relaxing as it is,” I chuckle as I open the door. “Ladies first.”

  
  


“Oh my, such a gentleman~” She giggles as she walks out the door. I follow and shut the door, making sure that it's locked. _Can never be too sure, after all._ We both walk down to the sidewalk, where Sayori is standing there waiting.

  
  


“Good morning, Michael~!” Sayori chirps, before looking over at Monika. “And Monika, too?!” She looks surprised. “What are you doing here?”

  
  


“Ahaha, good morning to you too, Sayori,” Monika smiles.

  
  


“Morning, Sayori,” I grin. “Monika came over to visit last night to catch up with me. It got late though, so I offered to let her stay the night.”  
  
  


“Whaaaaa?!” Her eyes widen. “You had a sleepover and didn't invite me?!"

  
  


“Well, it was _really_ late, so I figured you were already asleep...” I chuckle. “I guess next time I have an impromptu sleepover, I'll have to remember to call you up so you can join the fun.”

  
  


“You'd better not forget!” She makes a pouty face and pushes her fingers together.

  
  


“Relax, Sayori, I wouldn't forget,” I smile and ruffle her hair. “I know how much you enjoy spending time with me, after all.” Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Monika look away sadly. It doesn't seem like Sayori notices, however, so I don't bring it up. _I'll have to ask about that later, I guess._

  
  


“Ehehe, good~...” Sayori grins at me.

  
  


“Anyway, what do you girls say we start our walk to school now? Can't let Monika's perfect attendance get ruined,” I add that last part with a chuckle. Monika looks back at me with an eyebrow raised and a knowing smirk.

  
  


“That would be preferable, yes,” she replies.

  
  


“Yay!” Sayori jumps up. “Let's go!”

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  


And with that, we started our walk to the school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is shorter since I had a bad case of writer's block and couldn't figure out where else to take it until what seemed like a natural stopping point to pick up with another chapter. Sorry if it's not as good as the previous few, I'll try to make up for it in the next chapter.


End file.
